Getting to Turkey: major airlines and airports

Dependent on what time of year you fly, you may pay as little as a £100 (approximately €118) for a return flight. Turkey also has numerous large international airports in key regions and cities across the country, most specifically in the tourist hotspots and all areas frequented by foreign nationals. These are some of the more crucially placed airports in Turkey:

Antalya Airport and Antalya GazipaşaAirport, in Antalya

Milas-Bodrum International at Bodrum

Atatürk Airport and Sabiha Gökcen International Airport in Istanbul

Izmir Adnan-Menderes Airport in Izmir.

Eskişehir Anadolu Airport in Eskişehir.

Most of these airports are accessible from known UK airlines that include British Airways, Avro and Airflights. Keep an eye out when looking for the best possible routes, flights and prices to Turkey, as many of these are available and cheaper online, making it easier than ever to get to the country.

Medical health: vaccinations

Although Turkey has access to state-of-the-art hospitals and medical centres, it always helps to lay a little groundwork against known medical ailments and conditions that you might encounter in the country. Visit a physician at least 4 weeks before you intend to depart for Turkey, as this will give you enough time to get inoculated against certain conditions. Take a look at some of the most generic conditions that tourists and foreign nationals have encountered:

Hepatitis A, B – recommended for all travelers.

Typhoid –recommended if you intend to eat and drink outside of major restaurants.

Rabies – recommended if you are going to be spending a lot of time outdoors, or dealing with the wildlife.

Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) – if you were born after 1956, getting vaccinated for these three conditions is recommended.

Dining and tipping

In Turkey, tipping, orBahşiş comes in at a standard 10% service fee. In some establishments, this can go up to 15%. Keep the following in mind when eating out and tipping in Turkey:

See and find out where the locals go to eat. This might be a cheaper alternative than eating out at a mainstream restaurant.

Turkey is becoming more and more globalised, especially in the more urban areas, meaning that you will have relatively easy access to most modern-day amenities such as luxury restaurants and places for eating out, like you would have in the UK.

One normally tips waiters and tour guides.

What you can say: basic phrases and words in Turkish

Here are a few useful Turkish words and phrases:

English

Turkish

Pronunciation

Hello

Merhaba

Mer-ha-ba

Welcome

Hoş geldiniz

Hosh gel-dee-neez

Thank you

Teşekkür ederim,sağol

Te-she-koor e-de-rim, saa-ol

Yes

Evet

E-vet

No

Hayır

Ha-yur

Please

Lütfen

Loot-fen

How much is it?

Ne kadar?

Nuh kah-dar

Do you speak English?

İngilizce biliyormusunuz?

Een-gee-leez-je bee-lee-yor-moo-soo-nooz?

What time is it?

Saat kaç?

Sa-at kach?

Where is the restroom?

Tuvalet nerede?

Too-va-let nuh-reh-deh

What is your name?

İsminiz ne?

Eez-mee-neez ne?

I would like a beer.

Bira istiyorum

Bee-ra ees-tee-yoh-room

I would like coffee.

Kahve istiyorum

Kah-veh ees-tee-yoh-room

Bill/check

Hesap

Hee-sop

Weather in Turkey

Turkey is a country that has multiple biomes and climate types, ranging from dry, hot continental conditions to wetter, cooler Mediterranean type. Many of the favoured regions in the country, including the south-west Aegean/Mediterranean coastline, have in excess of 300 days of sunshine annually. Here are some of the average conditions in two major regions in Turkey: